Description
The increasing demand for fresh and high quality packaged food, consumer convenience and health protection by bioactive packaging creation and manufacturer concern for longer shelf life of the food products are driving the market. Conventional packaging materials are a huge problem due to their long persistence in the environment. This project contributes to reduce the alteration of the food and develops active and biodegradable packaging systems. The project will develop new active and biodegradable packaging materials; reduce food contamination risk and prolong shelf life of food products; provide courses and support for individual PhD and MSc student projects; deliver scientific publications, Master’s dissertation and PhD theses; design and develop new antimicrobial bionanocomposites based on biodegradable polymers and capsules with active component; and gather conference presentations, new product and patents. the target groups are Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, scientists, policy makers, the mass media, early stage researchers and young people. The donor partner will contribute with knowledge sharing about active food packaging. One PhD student will benefit from a research placement at NOFIMA and new tests for antimicrobial activity assessment will be developed.
Summary of project results
ACTIBIOSAFE project was developed based on cooperation between Romania and Norway in a complex trans-multi-disciplinary partnership within the EEA Research Programme - Research within priority sectors. The objectives achieved during project development were: innovative scientific and technological knowledge shared among the communities of Romania and Norway; reduced food contamination risk and prolong shelf life of food products; obtaining of new chitosan derivatives with improved antimicrobial and antioxidannt activity and also nanostructured encapsulated systems based on natural oils (essential and cold-pressed oils) into chitosan and novel chitosan derivatives in order to improve the thermal stability and to manufacture the biodegradable multifunctional materials with antioxidant/ antimicrobial/ antifungal or/and biological activities; implementing courses for PhD and MSc students in the smart food materials; 21 scientific publications in high IF journals, 9 master dissertation and 4 PhD theses and 3 dissertations. Have been obtained composites based on degradable polymers such as PHAs or PLA and chitosan with incorporation of encapsulated forms with active substances through the integration of technologies: extrusion, thermoforming, activated coating by gamma irradiation/ plasma exposure and electrocoating. In the final stage the industrial validation of trays prototypes by in vivo and on food packaging equipments tests was done accompanied by a market study. Besides the new trays prototypes, the self life of chicken breast packed in biodegradable and bioactive PLA-based trays was increased with ~ 40%. The infrastructure of the reasearch and education units participating at project was improved. Both at laboratory and micropilot level the results are satisfactory and we intend to continue this kind of activity to find innovative solutions and emerging technologies for food packaging and preservation. For the two SMEs involved in the project will expect thet the obtained results to up-dated their capacity, quality and capability of research and development activity, to promote the involvement of the young graduates in this modern field to develop new packaging equipments and methods which will assure better food products supply and safety.
Summary of bilateral results
The bilateral collaboration results are included in the project results, the Norway NOFIMA partners acomplishing some important tasks in the framework of each actvity of the project and contributed with results and their delivering and implementation up to project end. As some examples, they effectuated studies on the antimicrobial activity, on the migration of the components of the food packaging as films and sheets into standard alimentary simulants according to EN 1186 regulations and their si in vivo testing. NOFIMA group role consisted also in the establishing of the food products quality and safety and self life of these products in the storage conditions. The working consortium including five partners comunicated very well both continuously by E-mail connections and during the technical meeting periodically organized. They recognized the good coordonation by dr. Cornelia Vasile and Iasi team and will search for solutions for possible applications for related research projects as innovative solutions for sustainable food packaging. Nofima team was responsible of the WP1 and accomplishes main tasks of this and coordonated the activity of the partners. In the framework of the WP2, Nofima together with RODAX SA studied the hermetically sealing properties and tested the sealing rezistance which have been used for validation of the tray prototypes and their obtaining on the industrial equipment. Have been tested 20 different materials constited in biodegradable polymer matrices and bioactive compounds. It has been established the optima conditions of storage and processing as temperatures -28 °C to avoid britleness, and the suitability of the trays for most food products excepting those alcoholic and fats. Sensorial properties showed the improvement for solmon packaging but in vivo tests should be continued. Nofima team leader and other participants were very active to promote the project results by press and radio release and participation with communications and posters to scientific international meetings , coordinated 2 MSC theses. 8 common papers and presentations were delivered and one is in press. One European patent is under examination stage. Bilateral funds contribute to strengthened bilateral relations and we consider that this collaboration is stable and will be continuated in the future.